8:46AM
Taranaki cricket players suspended after rampage
Five Taranaki representative cricketers involved in a drunken vandalism rampage through Napier streets have been suspended from the team.
Kolynn Tai has been given the longest suspension of 42 days, while Chris Cruikshank, who is also contracted to Central Districts, is out for 30 days, the Taranaki Daily News reported.
973 views

Wednesday, 28 February 2007

7:49PM
No chooks just dope in the blazing henhouse
Auckland firefighters racing to rescue a shed full of chickens during an early morning fire this morning were surprised when instead of finding distressed hens they discovered 1000 cannabis plants.
Police spokesman Kevin Loughlin told NZPA firefighters were called to the blaze at the Barretts Road chicken shed in Riverhead, 31km northwest of Auckland, at 5.
226 views

7:29PM
Woman thrilled after leaky home appeal dropped
Colleen Dicks can hardly believe a council insurer has dropped an appeal against paying $250,000 court-ordered compensation for her leaky home, her daughter says.
In 1994 Waitakere City Council building inspectors approved the way Mrs Dicks' Hobsonville home was built.
733 views

7:27PM
$1 million investigation into `bio-energy' options
One million dollars of taxpayers' money will be spent over the next 16 months on a state science company's assessment of the risks and opportunities in developing different "bio-energy" options.
Scion, part of the former Forest Research Institute at Rotorua, will report on the potential for production of heat, power and liquid transport fuels from crops and other plant material.
219 views

7:21PM
Sex offender's extended supervision order quashed
A man whom the Court of Appeal described as "not what is colloquially known as a decent law abiding citizen" has succeeded in having an extended supervision order quashed.
The 10-year order was placed on Jacob Rangaiti Peta by a district court judge in January last year when he was convicted on two counts of committing an indecent act with a girl under 12.
1720 views

7:10PM
Company ordered to pay another $24,000 for diesel
Christchurch manufacturer Steelbro NZ Ltd has been ordered to pay another $24,000 toward the clean-up cost resulting from a diesel spill in the Heathcote River in February 2005.
Environment Canterbury (ECan) had appealed a previous District Court sentence comprising a $10,000 fine for Steelbro and $20,000 in clean-up expenses.
200 views

7:05PM
Killer 'hospitalised' ex-girlfriend five times
Northland gang member Nathan Fenton's 14-year life of crime is over for the next 17 year at least.
The 31-year-old gang member was jailed for life today for the savage murder of his teenage girlfriend which was a judge said was the result of prolonged, brutal attacke with a sawn off shotgun.
1250 views

6:28PM
Government must bring down class sizes
New Zealand high school students are getting an average of six minutes of one-on-one time with each of their teachers, each week, says the Post Primary Teachers Association.
The PPTA said it carried out a survey of class sizes at 66 schools around the country, which found students spent about half their time in classes with at least 25 others.
149 views